Understanding how to name acids and bases is fundamental to chemistry. This guide covers the systematic naming conventions for inorganic acids and bases, following IUPAC standards.

Classification of Acids

Inorganic acids fall into two main categories:

Binary Acids (Hydrohalic Acids)

Binary acids form when hydrogen combines with halogens (Group 17 elements). Their naming follows this pattern:

hydro- + halogen name + -ic acid

Examples:

Oxoacids

Oxoacids contain three elements:

Non-halogenic Oxoacids

The naming convention uses two suffixes:

Common examples:

Central Element	More Oxygen	Less Oxygen
Nitrogen	Nitric acid ($\mathrm{HNO_3}$)	Nitrous acid ($\mathrm{HNO_2}$)
Phosphorus	Phosphoric acid ($\mathrm{H_3PO_4}$)	Phosphorous acid ($\mathrm{H_3PO_3}$)
Sulfur	Sulfuric acid ($\mathrm{H_2SO_4}$)	Sulfurous acid ($\mathrm{H_2SO_3}$)

Halogenic Oxoacids

These follow a four-level naming system based on oxygen content:

Example with chlorine:

Nomenclature of Bases

Inorganic bases follow ionic compound naming rules:

Common Acids and Bases

Strong vs. Weak Acids

Strong acids completely dissociate in water, while weak acids partially dissociate.

Strong Acids Examples:

Weak Acids Examples:

Strong vs. Weak Bases

Strong bases dissociate completely, while weak bases partially dissociate.

Strong Bases Examples:

Weak Bases Examples: